Causes of Coronary Artery Disease:
To treat a disease, we must know the underlying factors which are actually leading to the disease. The narrowing of the coronary arteries usually causes coronary artery disease due to the buildup of fatty substances – plaque. So high intake of fats or bad cholesterol can lead to that buildup in those arteries compromising the blood flow to the heart. This plaque substance can also rupture and may form a blood clot, consequently deteriorating the condition.
The following can be the causes or at least risk factors for CAD:
- Advanced Age
- Positive family history
- Tobacco smoking
- Diabetes or insulin resistance
- High cholesterol
- High blood pressure
- Chronic kidney disease
- Obesity
- Sedentary lifestyle
Prevalence:
Coronary artery disease accounts for approximately 610,000 deaths annually, which means an estimated 1 in every 4 deaths, and is the leading cause of mortality in the United States. It is associated with 17.8 million deaths annually and is the third leading cause of mortality worldwide. (1)
Risk factor identification and advances in medical technology have contributed to a significant decrease in CAD mortality rates over the past forty years in western countries. One public health study that gathered mortality data from 1969 to 2014 concluded that by 2020, the number of heart disease-related deaths would decrease by 21.3 percent for men and 13.4 percent for women. (1)
References:
- Brown, J. C., Gerhardt, T. E., & Kwon, E. (2022). Risk Factors For Coronary Artery Disease. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.